Disposable paint tray liner



Nov. 24, 1964 T. L. HARDWICK DISPOSABLE PAINT TRAY LINER Filed Jan. 4, 1963 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,157,902 DISPOSABLE PAINT TRAY LENER Thomas L. Hardwich, Buiialo, FLY. (R0. Box 153, West Seneca, NY.) Filed Jan. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 24%,479 3 (Ilaims. (til. 15-25166) This invention relates to a lining for containers, and more specifically, to a disposable liner for a paint tray or the like.

The use of roller type apparatus the application of paint conventionally requires the use of a paint tray for holding the paint in order to supply the roller. These trays provide a surface area of suflicient size to permit the roller to be uniformly coated with a supply of paint prior to rolling, but must be carefully cleaned between uses to provide a clean surface for each use and prevent undesired mixture of colors. To obviate the necessity for such cleaning, it has been previously proposed to supply disposable trays, and disposable linings for non-disposable trays. The former have been costly and lacking in sufiicient rigidity and resistance to moisture, while the latter have required modifications of the basic structure neither having found general acceptance.

To overcome these objections, and to provide a readily disposable, improved tray liner, this invention provides a molded liner for use with conventional metallic paint trays without any modification of the tray, the liner being formed of an inexpensive plastic, or the like.

An important object of the invention is to supply a paint tray liner of the character indicated which is securely held in place within the tray when in use, but is adapted to be readily disengaged and discarded.

Another objective is to provide a tray liner adapted 'for mass production of inexpensive material, non-complex in construction and use, and of suificient durability for its intended usage.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a disassembled perspective view of a tray and liner in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal cross-sectional view through a paint tray with a liner of this invention placed thereon;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, the liner being shown removed from the tray.

Proceeding to a more detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drawings illustrate at Ill a conventional paint tray formed of metal or the like providing the environment of the present invention. The tray ill includes a substantially rectangular bottom wall 12 having a first end 14 and a second, opposite end 16. The tray is conventionally provided with a plurality of upwardly struck paint distribution ribs 18, and has a pair of legs 26 adjacent the first end 14 of the bottom wall 12. The bottom wall 12 is supported by legs 20 and its ends 16 such that, when rested on a horizontal support, it is slanted downwardly from the first end 14 to the second end 16. The end 16 merges into an upwardly and outwardly inclined end wall 22, and side Walls 24 complete the tray enclosure. The upper peripheral edge of the tray 10, including end 14 of bottom wall 12, side walls 24 and end wall 22, has a continuous rolled flange 26 extending thereabout. The foregoing description of the tray relates to conventional structure not per se a part of the present invention, this 3,157,902 Patented Nov. 24, 1964 invention relating to a liner structure for use in combination with a conventional tray.

As best seen in FIGURE 1, the tray liner of this invention, generally identified by reference character 28, comprises a molded tray-like device having an outer configuration conforming with the interior shape of the tray 10. The liner 28 includes a liner bottom wall 34 having a first end 32 and a second end 34, the bottom Wall having a plurality of upwardly projecting liner ribs 36 which engage the distribution ribs 18 and aid in correctly positioning and holding the liner within the tray. A liner end wall 33 merges into the bottom wall 30 at the second end 34 thereof, and upstanding liner side walls 4% are located along the sides thereof.

The liner 28 is provided with a peripheral snap brim 42 which extends around the full extent thereof, including the first end 32, the upper edges of the liner side walls 4t? and the liner end wall 38. As seen in FIG- URES 3 and 4, the snap brim 42 is outwardly and downwardly arched to provide a trough or continuous slot 44. The snap brim 42 is resilient relative to the flange 26, and is dimensioned to securely grip the same Within the slot 44 upon the application of the snap brim 42 to the tray flange.

In use, the liner 28 is manually positioned in the tray 19 with the liner bottom wall 30 overlying the tray bottom wall 12 throughout the full length and width of the latter, and with the side Walls and end wall of the liner in covering, flush relation to the respective side Walls and end wall of the tray, the snap brim 42 being engaged over the tray flange 26. Upon completion of use or when it is" desired to change to a different color, the liner 2% is removed by lifting it from the tray 10 upon manual disengagement of the snap brim from the flange. The soiled liner is then discarded and may be replaced with another liner.

Having described and illustrated an embodiment of this invention in detail, it is to be wider-stood that this description and illustration are offered merely by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited in scope only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination, with a paint tray including a bottom wall having a pair of first and second ends, the bottom wall having a plurality of upwardly projecting paint distribution ribs thereon, a pair of legs at the first end of the bottom wall supporting the bottom wall in a position slanted downwardly from the first end to the second end, an outwardly and upwardly inclined end wall at the second end of the bottom wall, upstanding side Walls, and a rolled peripheral flange extending about the first end of the bottom wall, the side walls, and the end Wall, of a disposable molded plastic tray liner, comprising:

'(a) a liner bottom wall overlying the tray bottom wall throughout substantially the full length and width thereof;

(b) the liner bottom wall having a plurality of upstanding liner ribs overlying and engaging the ribs of the tray bottom Wall;

(0) a liner end wall bearing against and overlying the tray end wall;

(d) liner side walls bearing against and covering the tray side Walls; and

(e) a relatively resilient, peripheral snap brim extending about the liner and dimensioned to grip the rolled flange of the tray.

2. The combination, with a paint tray having a peripheral edge, and having upwardly projecting paint distribution ribs, of a disposable tray liner, comprising:

(a) a liner bottom Wall;

(b) liner side walls;

(c) a liner end wall;

(d) the liner bottom Wall having a plurality of upstanding liner ribs overlying end engaging the ribs of the tray; and

(e) a resilient, peripheral snap brim extending about the liner and dimensioned to grip the peripheral edge of the tray.

3. The combination, with a paint tray including a substantially rectangular bottom wall having a pair of first and second ends, the bottom wall having a plurality of upwardly projecting paint distribution ribs thereon, a pair of legs at the first end of the bottom Wall supporting the bottom wall in a position slanted downwardly from the first end to the second end, an outwardly and upwardly inclined end wall at the second end of the bottom wall, upstanding side Walls, and a rolled, continuous peripheral flange extending about the first end of the bottom Wall, the side Walls, and the end Wall, of a disposable molded plastic tray liner, comprising:

(a) a substantially rectangular liner bottom wall overlying the tray bottom wall throughout substantially the full length and width thereof;

(b) the liner bottom wall having a plurality of upstanding liner ribs overlying and engaging the ribs of the tray bottom wall to prevent relative sliding movement between the tray bottom wall and the liner bottom wall;

(0) a liner end wall bearing against and overlying the tray end wall;

(d) liner side walls bearing against and covering the tray side walls; and

(e) a relatively resilient, continuous, peripheral snap brim extending about the liner and dimensioned to grip the rolled flange of the tray, cooperating with the engaged ribs to secure the liner in place to overlie the tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,245,670 Brown Nov. 6, 1917 2,614,399 Roethel Oct. 21, 1952 2,710,112 Thompson June 7, 1955 2,849,949 Trachtman Sept. 2, 1958 2,887,705 Serwer May 26, 1959 2,922,176 Bernhardt Jan. 26, 1960 2,972,765 Macy Feb. 28, 1961 

1. THE COMBINATION, WITH A PAINT TRAY INCLUDING A BOTTOM WALL HAVING A PAIR OF FIRST AND SECOND ENDS, THE BOTTOM WALL HAVING A PLURALITY OF UPWARDLY PROJECTING PAINT DISTRIBUTION RIBS THEREON, A PAIR OF LEGS AT THE FIRST END OF THE BOTTOM WALL SUPPORTING THE BOTTOM WALL IN A POSITION SLANTED DOWNWARDLY FROM THE FIRST END TO THE SECOND END, AN OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLY INCLINED END WALL AT THE SECOND END OF THE BOTTOM WALL, UPSTANDING SIDE WALLS, AND A ROLLED PERIPHERAL FLANGE EXTENDING ABOUT THE FIRST END OF THE BOTTOM WALL, THE SIDE WALLS, AND THE END WALL, OF A DISPOSABLE MOLDED PLASTIC TRAY LINER, COMPRISING: (A) A LINER BOTTOM WALL OVERLYING THE TRAY BOTTOM WALL THROUGHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH AND WIDTH THEREOF; (B) THE LINER BOTTOM WALL HAVING A PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING LINER RIBS OVERLYING AND ENGAGING THE RIBS OF THE TRAY BOTTOM WALL; (C) A LINER END WALL BEARING AGAINST AND OVERLYING THE TRAY END WALL; (D) LINER SIDE WALLS BEARING AGAINST AND COVERING THE TRAY SIDE WALLS; AND (E) A RELATIVELY RESILIENT, PERIPHERAL SNAP BRIM EXTENDING ABOUT THE LINER AND DIMENSIONED TO GRIP THE ROLLED FLANGE OF THE TRAY. 